Pop the Question
by heatherlea75
Summary: A continuation of Catch the Bouquet.  Jackie has another plan up her sleeve, and this time, Hyde isn't so willing to cooperate.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Author's Note: **This is a continuation of "Catch the Bouquet". It'll be two parts (or three, but I'm pretty sure it'll be two), and the next part will be up this weekend. A happy J/H fic with (of course) a light dose of angst! Enjoy!

**Warning: **Some language.

**Pop The Question **

_**Part I - The Plan **_

**May 23, 1983 **

Two years after catching her best friend's bridal bouquet, fate was still being a bitch to Jackie Burkhart.

She'd been back together, and happily so, with Steven Hyde for two years, but her left ring finger was still bare. She'd been to two more weddings since Donna's, and just in the past three weeks, received invitations to three more weddings.

Her own wedding - her own engagement - was nowhere in sight.

"Alright, Jackie, I'll see you at Forman's."

Jackie turned towards the sound of her boyfriend's voice. "Steven, wait!" She rushed from the bathroom, not caring that she hadn't quite finished with her make up. She caught him at the front door of the apartment they'd shared for a year, stopping him with a tug on his arm. She smiled sexily and ran her hands up his chest. "Steven, why do you have to go to work?"

Hyde smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands settling on her rear end. "Because, doll, you know I can't leave Leo alone there. Brian has to leave at two and Justin can't come in till four." He kissed her forehead.

She pouted. "Then why can't I come with you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Jackie, last time you came to work with me, you insulted WB's girlfriend's daughter. He's still pissed about it." He shook his head, pursing his lips. "He didn't get any for a month after that."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Steven, that wasn't my fault! She was wearing yellow and orange...together, Steven!"

He grinned. "I'm sure she paid a heavy price for her crime of fashion." He pulled his chick closer and gave her a long, deep kiss.

She pulled away, though his kiss, as always, muddled her knees. "Eric lets Donna go to work with him," she whined, playing with the buttons on Steven's shirt.

"Yeah, well, they're married." He smothered the gasp she was about to give with a hard kiss, breaking it with a smack and a pat to her backside. "See you in a few hours."

Jackie crossed her arms and glared at him as he left. She followed him into the hallway. "I hate you, Steven Hyde!"

"Of course you do, baby."

Her face flushed, she returned to her apartment and slammed the door behind her. Leaning back against that door, tears filled her eyes. She closed them, but that didn't stop two hot tears from running a race down her cheeks.

In two years, some things had changed. He trusted her, at least more than he used to. He was more willing to tell her he loved her. And he'd taken her out on dates. He'd even been romantic with her at times, in his own way, of course.

But one thing hadn't changed. He still wasn't planning on ever marrying her.

_A few hours later, the Forman house _

"I need a plan." Jackie sat on the familiar, goldenrod couch she and the rest of her closest friends had all grown up on. Donna hadn't changed a thing about the Forman house since Red and Kitty sold it to the newlyweds, though she constantly talked of it.

A house. Donna and Eric had their own house. And a baby. They were a family, not just a couple. Not just two people living together with separate bank accounts and different names. Not just glorified roommates. They were a family, dedicated to one another, partners, lovers, friends...a _family_.

Exactly what she wanted to be with Steven.

Jackie frowned and clenched her fists as Donna paced back and forth in front of the coffee table, baby Luke in her arms.

"I thought you promised Hyde that you wouldn't manipulate him anymore." Donna looked down at the fussing seven-month old in her arms. "Come on, Lukie. Shhh...it's okay. Mommy's here." The baby kept crying, the cries threatening to break into a wail. She sighed tiredly and kept walking and rocking.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "It's not manipulation, Donna. He just needs to be convinced that he wants to marry me. Because he does, he just...he just doesn't realize it yet." Donna didn't answer, distracted by the baby she couldn't comfort, and Jackie stood up. "Give me that baby."

Donna half-reluctant, half-relieved, handed her son to Jackie. And of course, in less than a minute, the baby stopped fussing. She sank to the couch and shook her head. "God, why does he always shut up for _you_?"

Jackie glared at her friend. "Because, _Donna_, I'm a very soothing presence." She looked down at the baby, huge blue eyes staring up at her, and she smiled. "Aren't I, Lukie?" She lightly bounced the tiny boy and walked the room, completely lost in the wonder of him. He was beautiful, with reddish hair covering his head and big eyes, bluish-grey. She saw both Donna and Eric in him, and it was amazing.

She wondered what a baby she and Steven made would look like.

Donna sighed and leaned her head back on the couch. "Hey, can you take him upstairs and put him down?" She closed her eyes. Just five minutes. A power nap. It was all she needed.

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "And then will you help me come up with a plan?" She sighed impatiently when Donna didn't respond. "Donna!"

"Fine, fine, yeah, whatever!"

Jackie nodded, and then whispered to the baby. "Okay, Lukie. Lets go upstairs." The baby gurgled and smiled, and Jackie's eyes misted. Someday...

As she climbed the stairs, she frowned. Someday if and only if she came up with a damn good plan!

Donna opened her eyes slowly as her husband and Hyde walked into the living room. "You better just go down to the basement," she said. "Jackie's putting Luke down and then she's coming back down." She closed her eyes again; her body was so exhausted she could no longer feel it. "She's going on and on about coming up with a plan or something."

Eric frowned. "Thanks for the warning." He turned and headed back through the kitchen door.

Hyde shook his head. "So Donna." He crossed his arms. "What exactly is the purpose of this plan?"

Donna turned her head away from the noise of his voice. "Who knows, Hyde. Maybe she wants to figure out a way to get her commitment phobic boyfriend to marry her or something."

He shook his head, and the partial amusement he'd felt dissolved into anger. He stared at Donna, but from the way she was slumping over on the couch, he knew he wasn't going to get anything more from her. He sighed and stalked out of the living room, stopping in the kitchen. As he opened the fridge, he frowned. What in the hell was Jackie doing? She'd promised to stop it with this crap. He took out a beer, then slammed the door closed. Wasn't that commitment enough for her? Why did she have to have some stupid piece of paper from the government telling her he was committed to her?

And why couldn't she just wait? Why did she have to push?

"Donna! Get up! I've got it!"

Hyde walked over to the kitchen door and slowly, quietly pushed it open just a few inches. He smirked as Jackie began spilling her guts. _Busted, doll. So totally busted. _

"Okay, here's the deal. Steven always feels bad when you're being a bitch to me. You know, like when you threw your bouquet to Tina instead of _me._"

Hyde grinned. He imagined Donna was rolling her eyes at that one.

"So we have to have a huge fight. I'll take Luke out for the day and bring him home late.

You'll be incredibly mad, and yell at me that I'll never make a good wife or mother. I'll be devastated, and Steven doesn't like to see me devastated, so he'll have to do something huge to make me feel better."

"And you think this "huge" something will be a proposal."

Hyde took a swig of his beer. Of course she thought so. Nothing was as huge to Jackie as a proposal.

"Of course, Donna!"

He smiled. He knew his chick.

"Jackie, I don't know..."

"Please, Donna. Look, I know I promised Steven that I wouldn't play any games, but..."

The pause bugged him.

"I just don't know what else to do. I love him so much, and I want to be his wife, you know? Sam was his wife and he was okay with that. I just don't...I don't understand why that was okay and the idea of me being his wife isn't even an option for him. Do you think...did he love her more than me?"

He recoiled from the door, his gut swarmed with piercing pain as if he'd been stabbed by thousands of freshly sharpened knives. Shaking his head, he turned and headed out of the kitchen to the porch. He sat down, and stared at the driveway, at the Vista Cruiser which Forman refused to get rid of.

She didn't understand. She'd never understand. He hadn't loved Sam. He loved _her. _He stared at the bottle in his hand, and suddenly, the amber liquid inside didn't seem so appealing. The stakes with Jackie were so much higher. If he married her, and somehow screwed it up and they split up...

His eyes closed.

"Hey, whatcha doing out here?"

Hyde shook off his thoughts, tried to ignore the echo of Jackie's hurt voice, and smirked at Forman as his best friend took the seat next to him. "Oh, just figuring out how I'm gonna ruin Jackie's latest plan to get me to propose." He raised an eyebrow. "She and Donna are gonna stage a fight, and she thinks I'll feel so sorry for her that I'll pop the question."

Eric nodded and took a slow slug of his beer. He looked straight ahead. "Wow. She must really love you."

Hyde looked at him. "How do you figure that?"

Eric shrugged, still avoiding looking at Hyde. "You guys have been back together for two years, and she hasn't bugged you at all about marriage, right? Just like you asked her to, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So...that's not like Jackie, but she did it for you." Eric took a breath and looked at Hyde. "Look, man, I know you have your reasons for not wanting to get married. But don't you have any for _wanting_ to get married? Like the fact that Jackie, while she is the devil, loves you so much she forgave you doing the one thing that hurt her the most? And then after that, never pressured you to make it up to her by marrying her...until now, of course. Two _years_ later."

Hyde looked down. Damn it all, but Forman was right. Oh, there'd been little comments here and there, longing looks, especially whenever they had to go to a wedding. But nothing major. No ultimatums. Not really even any pouting, at least not in front of him. "Yeah, but..." He looked up at the sky and sighed in frustration. "Fine, but I can't propose after she pulls this little stunt. She'll think she can keep doing this kind of thing to get her way."

Eric shrugged. "Well, I don't know what to tell you, man. Except that maybe its time you do something for her, you know?" He stood up. "Prove that you love her, man." He grinned. "You get awesome sex when you do it, too, so that's a bonus." He grinned. "Come on in, man. Party's gonna start. Mom's here with her booze, so..."

Hyde shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as Forman headed back into the house. _Prove that you love her, man. _He took another swallow of his beer. Huh. _Did he love her more than me? _

He frowned. Okay. Maybe it was time to start thinking..._thinking_...about marriage. But he wasn't gonna actually propose until he was ready. And he wasn't gonna reward her for her game playing with a diamond ring. No.

No, what he would do would be to bust her in her little scheme, and then let her sweat a little bit. After that, he'd tell her he was thinking about marriage. Appease her a bit.

And then someday, he'd pop the question. Someday.

"Jackie...god, yes..."

Jackie lay on top of Steven, her mouth languidly exploring his naked chest and stomach. She dotted her kisses with flicks of her tongue, tasting his essence and shivering as his groans vibrated into her own body. His hands pressed her head down to him, and she squirmed over his lower body, rubbing her breasts against his heated erection. "Steven..."

She nibbled her way up to his lips, and he instantly captured hers in a scorching kiss.

Drawing away, she smiled down at his flushed face, his burning eyes. His hand felt so hot on her naked backside, and she could hardly wait to feel him inside her. But first... "Steven," she whispered, tracing a fingertip over his mouth. "I just want to make you happy."

The anniversary party...she'd looked at Eric and Donna, and how happy they were. And all night she'd wanted to tell Steven that...to make him understand.

Hyde looked up at her, into her mismatched eyes. His first inclination was to smirk and tell her to kiss back down his body if she wanted to really make him happy, but something in those eyes...something he'd always seen in her eyes but still seemed new...made him feel slightly dizzy. "Jackie," he said huskily.

"No, Steven, I just...I want to make you so happy, Steven. Like...like...oh god, I don't know what I'm trying to say!"

She dropped to him and buried her head in the crook of her neck.

_I do too know what I'm trying to say. I'm trying to say that I want to marry you, Steven! _

Hyde rubbed her back, trying not to let his arousal get the better of him. "Baby, you do," he answered, turning his lips to her and biting her ear softly. His eyes closed. Funny, it was an easy thing to say now. After all they'd been through. "You really do."

And he knew what she was trying to say.

_Just hang in a little longer, Jackie. Please, doll, just a little longer till I'm sure. _

He grinned and rolled her over to her back, getting on top of her and smiling down at her. She squealed and giggled, and her eyes lit up while his hand meandered her breasts. "I do?"

He nodded, his lips just half an inch from hers. "Yeah. So let me show you how grateful I am..."

Later on, they lay together, facing one another in the dark. Staring at one another in the dark.

"This is so nice, isn't it?"

"Mmmmm. Yeah."

"I don't ever want it to end."

"Nope."

"It won't, will it, Steven?"

"Jackie, shut your piehole."

Her giggle was smothered by another kiss.

And as he began to seduce her all over again, just before she lost herself in her love for him, she thought of her plan. Two days, and he'd be hers FOREVER.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own.

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry this is taking me so long...work is agonizing, and I've hardly had any time to do fun stuff like write J/H. Grrrrr! Anyway, this is part 2 of 3, so enjoy! And thank you, thank you for the reviews!!!!!!

**Warning:** Language

**Pop the Question **

**Part II - The Hook **

Jackie's second favorite part of the day was in the morning, the twenty minutes she spent in the tiny bathroom with Steven. Standing together at the sink, bumping into one another more on purpose than because of cramped space; it was so domestic. So _married_. She looked at him, watching him shave. How on earth could he do things like this with such ease and _not_ want to get married? She sighed and turned back to her make up, unable to stop herself from pouting.

Hyde cocked his head upwards, gently running the razor over his skin. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Jackie as went through her routine. She expelled a few of her annoyed huffs. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and what was coming. _"Steven, isn't this nice? Aren't we just like a married couple? Why don't you want to get married? We already act like we are!" _He shook his head and grinned. She was as transparent as a ghost.

Jackie glared at him in the mirror. "Shut up, Steven." That stupid smirk of his. He knew her too well. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. Sometimes it relieved her; she could leave certain things unsaid and yet he still knew. At other times, like now, it made her insane.

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything."

She looked at him, her own eyebrow arching up. "You were thinking it." She poked him with the end of her brush. "Finish shaving."

"Yes, dear." He chuckled as he finished, wiping off the excess shaving cream with a damp washcloth. Instinctively, he supposed, Jackie passed him his aftershave. "Thanks." She muttered a response, and he shook his head. Poor chick. After smoothing the Old Spice into his skin, he looked at her. She was done with her make up crap and was studying herself, pretending not to notice his eyes on her. Instead of saying anything, he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down, brushing her hair off that sexy neck of hers and began to kiss it. "Good enough for you, doll?" He gently rubbed his cheek against her incredibly soft skin.

Jackie couldn't help herself. She smiled and nestled into him, turning her head so his lips had room to meander. Taking a deep breath, the perfect scent combination of Steven and Old Spice filled wafted into her nose. "Mmmm, yeah," she sighed, her eyes closing. "You know, Steven, if I was your wife, I'd be morally obligated to have sex with you whenever you wanted."

Hyde slowly ran his tongue over the edge of her ear. "Jackie, you already do have sex with me whenever I want." He grinned. "You can't resist me."

She grimaced and fought with all she had the incredible lust his mouth and tongue and hands were attempting - and nearly succeeding in arousing in her. "Yeah, well," she said, reminding herself that he always did this, he always used seduction and the physical hold he had over her to get his own way. She pushed away from him and turned on her heel, leveling him with a snotty glare. She crossed her arms over her chest. "That, my darling, can and WILL change."

She brushed past him, but he caught her by the waist and immediately began tickling her. Unable to keep her composure, she burst into laughter and tried to squirm away. "Steven! STEVEN!"

She tried to fight, to run from him. But within a few dozen seconds, he had her pinned beneath them on their bed.

"No it won't, doll. Because it turns you on when I want you. And I want you all...the...time."

His lips seduced hers, and as they kissed, as his hands touched her with such a needy passion her heart stopped, her resistance faded. She closed her eyes and gripped his shoulders, holding on for dear life as his touch began to make everything around her spin into oblivion.

"I love you, Jackie."

He whispered into her ear, hot breath teasing the shell of it with an erotic breeze that, combined with the words themselves, made Jackie moan and arch her body up to his. "Steven..." He began feasting on her neck, and the arousal between her legs shot like fireworks up her middle, through her arms and shoulders until she was completely full and swollen with the need for him. "Steven...god...I...I love you...so much!"

"I wanna play hooky."

She nodded, her fingers grabbing furiously at the hem of his tee shirt. "Just...yes...god..."

Even though she knew she'd lost a point in her argument she'd been counting on to work, it didn't matter. She'd come up with something else. For now, she was all Steven wanted, all he could think of. And THAT was a beautiful thing.

_Later that evening, Eric and Donna's house _

Hyde sat in what used to be Red's chair - Mrs. Forman had refused to allow him to move it -into their new condominium - and watched as Jackie lay on the living room floor. She was on her back, holding baby Luke up in the air and making him squeal by lifting him high then bringing him down to her. The look on her face as she played with the baby was...if he had to admit it, fascinating. Like she'd found her calling or something.

_She was made to be a mother. _

He quickly took a long drink of his beer. That damned thought had been coming to him more and more often, and every time he saw her with Luke. Of course, he was sure it was all a part of her plan, though he could tell she truly loved the baby.

"Hey. You know, Jackie should move in. She keeps Luke more entertained than Donna and I combined."

Hyde glanced to his left and grinned at Forman, who was standing next to the chair, shaking his head at the sight of his son and his former nemesis. "Yeah, well, she wants me to see how damned cute she is with the baby. You know, so I'll decide to marry her." He looked at Jackie again. She'd sat up, baby in her lap, and she was tickling the little guy. Tiny giggles floated Hyde's way, and he noticed the huge grin on Luke's face. Jackie gently brushed her fingers over Luke's forehead, and the look on her face made Hyde's heart skip a beat.

_Yep. She was definitely made to be a mother. I wonder what our baby will look like. _

_What the HELL? _

He took another chug of the beer, draining it. What in the HELL was he thinking?

"And is it working?"

Hyde didn't answer, but kept staring at his chick and their godson. He must have a fever or something. Yeah. His throat felt kind of funny; obviously he was coming down with some sort of insanity-inducing flu.

"Holy crap, it IS working!"

He glared at Forman. "No, it's not," he snapped, his gut churning as it always did when he lied. "Look, she's got her plan." He smirked. "And I've got mine."

"Well, I hope it isn't running off to Vegas and marrying a stripper."

Hyde punched Forman in the arm. "Shut the hell up, Forman." He sighed and looked at Jackie. She was heading for the stairs, probably taking the baby up for his nap, and when she reached them, she flashed him a sweet smile. "Look," he said quietly, standing and turning to his best friend. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid. I just...I just need some time, you know?"

Forman didn't look appeased. "Right. In other words, you're gonna make her wait forever." He shook his head. "Man, she makes you happy. Don't screw it up...again."

Hyde rolled his eyes, but deep down, he knew Forman was right. Hell, waiting too long was what had caused the whole Chicago disaster. He looked at his beer. Empty. He grinned at Forman. "Go get me another beer."

"Why can't you go get yourself one?"

"You get me another beer, I'll let Jackie watch the baby for few hours tonight so you can finally get some."

"How about two? Or three?"

Hyde chuckled and sat back down as Forman scurried off to ensure a hot night in his bedroom. He sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe he should switch to something stronger. Tequilla, maybe. Because what he really needed was a shot of courage.

_The next day _

Jackie pulled her car into a parking spot in front of the 7-11 only a few blocks away from

Donna and Eric's house. She made a face; convenience stores were _not_ her favorite places, especially this one. Tommy, the longtime clerk, always tried to hit on her and bribe her with free Slurpees, something Steven always seemed to find amusing. She glanced at her watch. "Two more hours," she mumbled. She smiled. Two more hours, and she could return with Luke to Donna's "wrath". And her plan would really begin.

The baby began to cry. He'd been fussy for the past half hour, and she was out of juice for him. She turned and looked at him in the backseat. "It's okay, Lukie. We'll just go inside and get you some juice, and then we'll go to the park. We'll sit on the swing, and I'll push us REAL high. Does that sound okay? Huh, little guy?" She reached back and tickled Luke's middle. He settled down, and she smiled at him. "That's my boy." She turned and again looked at the tacky building with a sigh.

As she got out of the car, she rolled her eyes.

_The things I do for you, Steven! _

_The same time _

A few dozen feet away, a man sat in a black car, his eyes locked on the entrance of the store.

He tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel, but the movement stopped when he saw the tiny young thing, sweet young thing walking in with a baby.

He smiled and glanced down at the gun resting on the passenger seat. Time to make his move. Cops would do _anything_ to save a woman and a kid.

Adrenaline pumping excitement and energy through his veins, he pulled his mask on, his hands trembling.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he rasped, grabbing his gun. "You just made my whole day."

_Two hours later, the Forman house _

They'd spent most of their childhood in the basement, and now that they were adults, they spent most of their time in the living room. Funny how things had changed in just a few years; Donna and Forman were married with a kid. Fez was attending beauty school, and had met a chick who didn't mind his perverted tendancies. Kelso was with Brooke, raising Betsy and hoping for another. And considering marriage.

Of course.

Hyde sat in the chair he'd, much like the one downstairs, claimed as his, and watched in amusement as Donna paced the room. Yep, all was as it should be, except for Jackie not being perched on his lap. But that would happen soon enough.

_Busted, doll. So totally busted. _

"She should have been home by now. I specifically told her to be home by four o'clock, and what time is it? Five o'clock!"

Hyde raised an eyebrow. "You know, Donna," he said slyly. "You can knock off the act." He took a drink of beer. "I know all about Jackie's plan."

Donna's eyes widened. "What?" She laughed nervously, the way she always did when caught. "What are you talking about, Hyde? There is no plan."

"Oh, no?" He grinned. "So Jackie's not purposely staying out late with Luke so when she brings him back, the two of you can stage a fight in which you'll inform her she'll be a lousy mother and wife?"

Donna tried to think of something to say, of an argument to make, to save Jackie's little plot, but gave up. Her shoulders slumping, she retreated to the couch and sat down between Eric and Kelso. She pointed at Hyde. "Fine. Fine, you figured it out. But you know what?" She glared at her old friend, remembering the pain in Jackie's voice when she'd asked if Hyde loved Sam more than her. "Jackie's been really patient with you, Hyde. Doesn't it mean anything to you that she's stayed with you for two years without pressuring you for marriage? She's really tried!" Her temper flared, and she stood back up, her face flushing. "You know why she did that? Because she loves you. Because she wanted to prove to you that she really loves you." She shook her head. "Maybe you should think about doing something to show her the same thing."

Hyde didn't say anything, though he wanted to. He wanted to lash out, to preach about how marriage was a tool of the government, used to bribe people into spending more money by giving them tax breaks. He wanted to remind Donna of Jackie's ultimatum, marry her or else, the break up before that when she couldn't waist anymore time on him if he didn't marry her right then and there.

He looked down at his beer, swallowing hard.

He couldn't say any of it, because Donna was right. Forman said the same thing. He was right.

_Did he love Sam more than me? _

"You know, you KNOW that Jackie's never wanted anything more than to get married. If you're never gonna marry her, maybe you should just..."

His head snapped up. "Maybe I should just _what_, Donna?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "Maybe you should just let her go."

The mere idea was enough to drain the blood from his head, and for a moment, he was dizzy. Letting her go? So she could find another guy? So he'd have to watch her with that other guy and know that he'd had chance after chance...

_She's right, though. You gotta make a decision. You gotta do SOMETHING. _

He cleared his throat and leveled what he hoped was a steady gaze at Donna. "Look, Donna, don't tell me how to handle Jackie, okay?" He stood up. "This is between her and I, and you need to just butt the hell out."

_You don't understand, Donna. Neither does she. I do love her, damn it. A hell of a lot more than Sam. A hell of a lot more than the El Camino. More than the circle, for Christ's sake. But...god, look what happened to my parents. To YOUR parents, Donna. To Jackie's. _

"Holy crap!"

Donna was about to snap a retort at Hyde when Kelso stood up, his voice rising and cracking as he pointed at the television screen. She frowned. The news had broken into the show they'd been watching. "Hey, isn't that the 7-11 just down the street?"

Kelso nodded, pointing. "And isn't that Jackie's car?"

Hyde tensed, his eyes locked on what did look exactly like Jackie's car. "Hey, shut up. What's the reporter saying?"

The gang quieted, listening to the breaking story.

"We're told that the robber is holding four hostages, including an elderly woman and a young mother with her baby. As of yet, the police have not been in contact with the armed man, but are attempting to establish communication with him. More on this story as it develops."

Donna's heart dropped. "A young mother and her baby...If Jackie's there, Luke is too..." She turned to Eric. "Eric, my baby is there!"

Hyde stared at the picture on the screen, and he knew. He knew. Jackie was in there. His body went cold and frigid.

"_Steven, I just want to make you happy." _

Without saying a word, without even listening to the increasingly hysterical murmurings of his friends, he turned and left the living room. When he reached the kitchen, he opened the sliding glass door, and broke out into a run.

"_Maybe you should just let her go." _

He tore the driver's side door of the Camino opened and started it up. "Like hell," he grumbled, quickly putting the car into reverse. "Like fucking hell I will."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Author's Note:** I hope you've enjoyed this little story! It was fun to write. :) Thank you SO much for reading it and for the reviews. You guys are wonderful!

**Warning: **Language

**Pop the Question **

**Part III - The Catch **

The parking lot of the 7-11 was crowded with people, both curious onlookers, news people and cops. It was chaos; the cops barking orders at the onlookers, news people and other cops alike. Hyde stood next to his girlfriend's car, staring into it through the driver's side window. A couple bags from stores in the mall lay on the passenger's seat, the bag on top one from her favorite lingerie shop.

He wondered what she'd bought. Wondered if it was red, or black, or if she was feeling virginal and went with baby pink or white. He loved it when she wanted to be the good girl seduced by the bad boy. Of course, he loved it when she wanted to be the bad girl seducing the bad boy, too.

He couldn't look away. He couldn't move.

_Jackie. _

"Hyde. Hyde!"

Someone was shaking his shoulders. He tried to shrug the hands away, but whoever was touching him was insistent. Finally, he turned, tension erupting from his gut through his throat. "WHAT?"

It looked like Kelso standing in front of him, but he wasn't entirely positive. Hard to see through Jackie's sweet smile haunting his mind. The last smile she'd given him before leaving that afternoon. The _last_...

He thought he heard Donna screaming. Something about Luke...her baby...Luke. He looked around, but everything was a blur. Now Donna was crying. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to clear his vision. When he opened them, he saw Eric and Donna with a police officer - the officer was handing a baby to her. Her baby. Luke was safe.

Part of him sighed with relief.

"Hyde. You okay, man?"

"Jackie..."

"She's...she's still in there, man. That's what the cops said."

It was Kelso in front of him, Fez next to him, and the two looked at each other.

Hyde glared at both of them. "I gotta...I gotta get her." He brushed past them and started towards the store. Their voices followed him, but who the hell knew what they were saying. Probably something like, "Hyde, you can't go in there!" or "Hyde, are you crazy?" Something useless and irrelevant like that.

This was bullshit, waiting around for the fucking cops to bargain for her life. Enough was enough. He had to get her...had to get her before anything happened to her.

A cop stopped him, putting his hands on his shoulders and holding him back with surprising force. Hyde couldn't breathe, panted hard just to stay on his feet, and his head was spinning. "Let me go, man! My girlfriend is in there!"

The cop didn't budge. "Calm down, sir. We've got the situation under control."

Hyde laughed, backing away from the cop and shaking his head. "You've got the situation under control? Do you SEE my girlfriend out here? NO! You don't! So NO, you do NOT HAVE THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL!"

The cop shook his head. "Sir, we're doing everything we can to get your girlfriend out safely. Now, please. Don't do anything that might jeopardize that."

Hyde looked past the cop to the store. He could see the guy who was holding Jackie hostage through the windows. He was standing near the counter, holding a gun and looking anxiously out at the scene in front of the store.

But there was no sign of Jackie. What had the bastard done with her...to her? Was she hurt? Lying on the floor? Crying? In pain? Had that bastard...touched her?

"Where...where is she?" he whispered, his voice hoarse, his throat completely raw.

"Look, we've almost convinced the guy to let her out. Give us a little while longer, okay? And just stay...right...here. No closer."

Someone behind him put a hand on his back. "Hyde, man, it's gonna be okay."

Hyde closed his eyes, his breath coming rough and fast, to the point his chest felt stabbed all over. He'd never felt this way, this out of control. Each and every atom in his body spun with dizzying force, and nothing in front of him, nothing he could see was steady.

Except her face.

Jackie. His baby. His doll. The woman who took care of him, who was taking cooking lessons from Mrs. Forman so they didn't have to exist solely on pizza, so he didn't have to cook after working all day. The woman who badgered him into helping her clean, and then rewarded him for it with the hottest sex imaginable. The woman who'd always encouraged him...who'd forced him to meet his real father...who'd redecorated his room...who'd always forgiven him...the only woman he'd ever felt this way about...

The woman who'd waited such a long damn time for him.

Pounding feet, yelling voices, and the earsplitting sound of gunfire and shattering glass startled him out of his pining thoughts, and his eyes snapped open.

His heart stopped.

The cops were storming into the store. One of the store windows was crumbling broken to the ground.

And as another gunshot pierced the air, all he could think of was Jackie.

He took off. This time, no one was going to stop him.

_Later that night, Jackie and Hyde's apartment _

Jackie sighed in contentment. She knew Steven was looking at her, probably the black and blue just under her left eye, but didn't open her eyes. Right now she was calm for the first time since she'd stepped into the 7-11, laying on her back in the bed she shared with the love of her life, knowing that he was hovering above her and tenderly rubbing her shoulders. Knowing that he was there and was going to keep her safe, was going to comfort her when she inevitably had nightmares about the hellish afternoon.

"You should put the ice back on your cheek, Jackie."

She shook her head. "It's too cold." She opened her eyes and smiled softly at Steven. "You're worried about me." She lifted a hand and put it on his chest. His heart was beating fast, and she rubbed small circles over it, wondering if it had been racing like that all day. "I'm okay, Steven. Really."

Hyde raised an eyebrow and moved one hand to her face. He plucked her lips gently with his thumb. "I know," he said, though what he really knew was that she was fine but she wasn't. What he knew was that tonight, she was going to be waking up in a cold sweat, screaming for him while he was lying right next to her. What he knew was that their nights would be spent like that for the foreseeable future, until she - and he- came to terms with it all.

She smiled and tugged a little bit on his tee shirt. "It wasn't all bad," she told him, looking into his naked eyes. So blue. So sweet...so her heaven. "When you came into the store and found me." Her heart skipped a beat. "You picked me up into your arms and carried me out of there." She sighed, remembering the feeling of him sweeping her up, not saying a word, not breathing as if he'd never breathe again until she was safe. "It was so romantic, Steven." Thinking about it helped, especially when flashes of being pushed and hit and kicked and threatened and touched overtook her.

He smiled, shaking his head. "Yeah. And that's why I got screamed at for almost an hour by the cops."

She pouted, thrusting her lower lip out and batting her eyelids. "But it was worth it, right?"

He nodded, his hand slipping from her face to her shoulder, underneath her nightgown. He leaned down until his lips were just half an inch away from hers. "Is it gonna hurt if I kiss you?" She shook her head, and he grinned, gently arranging himself on top of her. "Good." He kissed her softly, teasing her mouth softly with his tongue, but drawing back when she opened it for him. He stared at her. She was beautiful. She was his. He loved everything about her, even her shallow, bitchy side.

And he'd almost lost her.

_A shot of courage, huh? Man, I didn't mean it so literally! _

His heart beating fast, he smiled shakily at her. "So. Jackie." He brushed his lips over hers, and she stared up at him with wide eyes. Beautiful eyes. Ocean eyes. "I was just wondering...is bed a romantic enough place for me to pop the question?"

Jackie gasped. Pop the question? He was gonna...POP THE QUESTION?????? "Steven?" A rush of adrenaline sped through her, and she tried to sit up. "Wait! Wait! I look horrible! Just let me go put on some make up...STEVEN!" She pouted when he wouldn't let her up, and yet, her stomach was rolling, her heart almost bursting, and she wanted to kick and scream and clap and laugh and cry.

Hyde shook his head, pressing her down with his body and smirking at her. "You look fine, Jackie." She frowned, and he rolled his eyes. "You look beautiful." She did. More than she'd ever know. Licking his lips, he took a deep breath. "So...you wanna do it?" Funny, he didn't feel sick at all. He felt...he felt the same way he did after having sex with her. A sort of peace, a sort of...happiness. "You wanna get married?"

She let herself scream. "YES!"

He laughed, but it was smothered by her hard, passionate kiss.

When it broke, he felt lightheaded. "Damn, Jackie..."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him, smiling at her. She kicked her heels on the bed. "You...Steven, you really...I mean, you really want...to...I mean..." She was shaking all over, and even her brain couldn't seem to function properly.

He nodded, smirking at his flustered woman. "Yeah, I mean it, doll. I want to marry you." He remembered something, something that would probably turn her on so much he'd be having sex literally all night long. "And to prove it..." He rolled off of her and headed for the dresser.

Jackie sat up, the tears in her chest rushing to her eyes, her breathing labored, and yet, she'd never felt happier. She'd never felt this level of excitement. "Oh my god," she mumbled, pressing a hand to her raging heart. "Oh my god!"

Hyde turned, and when he saw her sitting up, watching him with those eyes, her cheeks flushed, her hand to her chest, he realized something.

She was it. She was the love of his life. She was _the_ one.

And she deserved to know it.

He held the small box in his hand, watching her light up when she noticed it, and he went back to her. "Come here. Sit on the edge of the bed." She did, her eyes darting between his face and the box he held. Taking a deep breath, forgetting all his past hang ups and focusing completely on Jackie, he bent down to one knee. He took her hand. "I love you, Jackie."

Jackie nodded, the tears starting to run down her cheeks. Was she dreaming? Was she fantasizing? No. This was real. This was FINALLY real. She clutched his hand. Tried to breathe. Tried to wait for him to say the words she'd longed for. For SO long.

"And I wanna be with you. Until...for...for...for a long time."

She giggled. "A long time?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. You know, till..." He sighed. "For the rest of my life, okay?" He opened the box and showed her the right he'd bought her a long time ago. Weird how every time he went to get rid of it, he hadn't been able to. "So, Jackie..." He swallowed. The look on her face...he had to do this fast before he lost it. She looked so damned beautiful and happy...like he was making her dreams come true..._him_! "Will you marry me?"

She wanted to scream again, but now, his words, his voice were penetrating her, and all she could do was cry and nod. She mouthed the word "yes" over and over again...funny that her voice would completely fail at the most important moment in her life. She watched him slide the ring onto her finger, the shine of the diamond, the color, the size of it make her warm all over. Finally, she managed to speak. "Steven," she whispered. "I love you...I love you so much!"

They fell back to the bed, their lips joining fast and furiously, then slowing to a sweet and languid pace.

He pulled away and smiled down at her. "You happy, doll?"

She nodded and tightened her arms around his waist. "So happy, Steven!"

He kissed her softly, then rested his forehead against hers. His eyes stayed open, and when her's closed, he spoke. "Open your eyes, baby. Just for a second." She did, and he stared directly into her. "I just want you to know that..." Another deep breath. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. No one." He pressed his lips together for a moment, remembering how hurt she'd sounded when she'd asked Donna that question about Sam. "And I'm never gonna feel this way about anyone but you. I...I promise."

"Steven!"

Her squeal made him laugh, and before he knew it, she was rolling him over onto his back, her little body squirming on top of him and arousing him to a flaming desire. He groaned as she peppered his neck with kisses, and his hands greedily gripped her backside. "You sure you're up to this, doll?"

Jackie lifted up and gave Steven her best sexy grin. "Steven, you just proposed to me," she purred. She rubbed her pelvis against the heat of him. "I'm _up_ for anything you want, baby." She lowered herself and resumed kissing and nipping at his jaw and neck. At his ear, she flicked her tongue and breathed into it. "_Anything_ you want, baby."

Hyde smiled. Hell yeah.

If this was what he got for popping the question, maybe he'd have to do it a few hundred more times.

**The End **


End file.
